National Unity Chairman MK Benny Gantz
National Unity Chairman MK Gantz: “Ours is not a political partnership but a shared fate. All citizens of Israel share a common fate, and together we will shape our fate and reality. At this time, we are all soldiers of the State of Israel.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity MK Benny Gantz, this evening (Wednesday, 11 October 2023) at the Kirya in Tel Aviv [all remarks translated from Hebrew]:
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
“Citizens of Israel, this evening we have formed a national emergency government. The people are united and today its leadership is also united. We have put aside every other consideration because the fate of our country is at stake. We will work together, shoulder to shoulder, for the citizens of Israel and for the State of Israel.
The unity of the nation in moments of grief and sorrow breaks through our borders and reaches every corner of the globe. We saw this yesterday in President Biden’s important and moving speech.
We are fighting with full force on all fronts. We have gone over to the offensive. Every Hamas member is a dead man. Hamas is ISIS, and we will crush and eliminate it just as the world crushed and eliminated ISIS.
I would like to stand by the soldiers, and the security service and rescue personnel, who are working around the clock in all sectors. The entire people of Israel are behind you. I say to you, citizens of Israel, to my colleagues here, and to all of you the words of the prophet Isaiah [41:6 ]: ‘They helped every one his neighbor; and every one said to his brother: ‘Be of good courage.’
The people of Israel live – and together we will win.”
National Unity Chairman MK Gantz:
“Our standing here, shoulder to shoulder, is a clear message to our enemies, and more importantly, a message to all citizens of Israel – we are all together, we are all mobilizing. Ours is not a political partnership but a shared fate. All citizens of Israel share a common fate, and together we will shape our fate and reality. At this time, we are all soldiers of the State of Israel. This is the time to come together and win. This is not the time for difficult questions, it is the time for crushing responses on the battlefield. I would like to turn to all citizens of Israel and tell them that the enemy will be destroyed, security will be restored the killing fields in which our heroes fell will be rebuilt and the entire State of Israel will flourish anew and be strengthened.”